Review: Torment: Lauren Kate ***3 STARS***

Torment: Lauren Kate

Synopsis: Goodreads

Hell on earth.

That’s what it’s like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.
It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts—immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

My Review:

                So many of you who have read my review on Fallen or who have seen my IMM on Torment know my beef with these books. I think they are wonderful and full of so much potential but I am not a fan of writing and the development in the stories. It so frustrating to me, when the authors like to string along the reader just for a little piece of info at the end of the book. I ended up listening to this book on audio, which I am so glad I did. The reader was good even though I thought her voice was funny. I think if I would have read the book I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much.

                I don’t think the hopes I had for this book was too much to ask for. One explain what the hell happened in Fallen, two what is everyone fighting for, three tell Luce what the hell is going on, and four stop trying to create more stuff for me to ask questions about. Maybe that might sound like much for some people but not for me. I don’t mind while reading a book having 1-3 questions, but not knowing what is really going on in the book is quite annoying. And so I begin my review.

                Luce…. She is how can I say it, I don’t think she will ever be that strong capable character I wanted her to be. She’s so frail all the time. If it’s not that she’s absolutely in love with Daniel and believing every word he says, than it’s that she’s doing the complete opposite and questioning everything and going back and forth. My problem with Luce is that she doesn’t act or have a mind at times. The whole let me color my hair and cut it for a new start. REALLLY???? I don’t know.  I mean not once did she really seek out the truth from Roland. She could have found something out. It was like Roland appears to sign up for this school and she mentions him very few times in the book.

The only thing that I was happy I saw her doing was actively looking at the shadows. Finally she has the balls to do something that she made a decision about without caring really what everyone thinks. I am glad they explained finally explained into depths about the shadow, because I was still left confused after fallen. But I still feel cheated in a way. It’s like in Fallen, scary shadows following Luce. They could cause depth uuuuu scary shadows. At the end of Fallen, don’t worry shadows are just messengers………………………………..  Okay what the hell does that mean??? Now the entire book of Torment let’s explain everything there is to know about shadows. I mean, I understand it was pivotal to the story I get it. But I just feel this book could be so much better. It doesn’t take advantage of different parts where it should.

  Daniel was annoying me a lot in this book also. I mean all she wanted to know is what was going on. Is that too much to ask? If he knows her like he claims to know her than he should have known better than to continually hide stuff. I mean he didn’t have to get into specifics, but just a general idea. I mean the way he would just pop in and out it was so frustrating. Why couldn’t he just speak something besides I love you and don’t leave the school? I get it he’s afraid if he tells her what’s going on she will combust. Got it, but this has just gotten ridiculous. The lack of communication in this whole book/series is the thing that makes me not want to read it. I think if Lauren Kate didn’t give that snippet from the beginning in the book I would have been going just as crazy as Luce. I really thought when I first read that snippet after Fallen that the author was going to really get into this world but I was disappointed.

I really enjoyed the boarding school. The whole Francesca and Stephen being together but one is evil and the other is good was pretty interesting. I felt like the school was like Percy’s Jackson’s camp. Where all the Nephilim, learn about their world. I really like Shelby. She was funny and straight up. Even though she was mean to Luce in the beginning I had a feeling I was going to like her. Miles was nice; of course he was going to fall for Luce. Why else would he be nice? Just kidding.. I really enjoyed their personalities and how they were good friends to Luce. It’s funny that I mention that, because in Fallen I enjoyed the side characters as well much more than Luce.

BTW, the ending was retarded!!! Really she needed time for herself. She couldn’t stick around a bit longer to figure out what was going on. It’s just maddening!!!

I think the story line was slow paced, just like Fallen. This is why I didn’t mind listening to it, because if I would have read it than I would have gone crazy. All in all, the book was okay. I think I might have had too many complaints. It’s just that it frustrates me so much when I invest so many hours of my life either listening to or reading a book and not have the book deliver. These books have a lot of potential. But I have come to realized after this book, that all the books in the series will be written like this. That is just the author’s style of writing. I doubt I will read the third book Passion. If the book is on audio at the library I will borrow it though. The book is maddening but still enjoyable in its own way.

I will say this….. If you did not like Fallen, do not get this book!!! If you really enjoyed Fallen, then go for it, you will enjoy it. I think this book is just one of those books that will just forever be just an okay book. I am not going to go crazy trying to figure out what’s going on anymore. I believe I wrote this in my review of Fallen. I had said that I would give Lauren Kate a chance to redeem herself from Fallen, so I would invest in this series. But I think Fallen & Torment are a good measure at how the pacing, character development, story lines are for this series. They are very much the same. If I would have known that then I probably wouldn’t have read it! Either way though it wasn’t horrible it was enjoyable.

                 ************** 3****************

Review: The Iron Knight: Julie Kagawa ***5 STARS***

The Iron Knight: Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey 4)

Synopsis: Goodreads


My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn.

I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…. 

My Review:

First off let me say how amazing this book was. I am so happy and feel very lucky to have been able to read this galley! Thank you netgalley and Harlequin for approving my request. I originally felt the Iron Fey series ended just okay by the end of the Iron Queen. But man oh man am I happy that Julie Kagawa decided to do this book. I mean this book was a great experience and had so much emotion.  Buy this book asap as soon as it comes out because you will not want to miss this. This book was a great journey; it had so much growth and a great plot. The story was always going with no slow parts. There were some great twist and turns and some great thought provoking moments. There are spoilers, please don’t continue reading unless you have read THE IRON KNIGHT.

Wow wow wow. I loved Ash’s POV. He is so closed off and it was interesting to go inside his head. To begin with Ash is just beyond amazing. He has changed so much from that evil ice prince at the beginning of Iron King, to this honorable guy searching for a soul. The trials and tests that Ash faces are so realistic in a way. I really felt his worry and felt what he would need to give up. The mortality, conscious, loss of strength, is it really worth giving up for Meghan? The trial, showing his potential future with Meghan was beyond. I mean it was so sweet, wonderful and sad. The whole testing grounds experience was such a journey on its own. Without the group of friends he brought with him, I doubt he would have gotten as far as he did.

I really enjoyed Ash & Pucks relationship. It literally was a love hate relationship. Almost every chance Ash got, he would say I am going to kill you puck, and he meant it even though he didn’t want to do it. The way he was bound by that oath, I think was literally killing Ash. Even though Ash might not say it, Puck is his best friend. They are a team.

Puck was hilarious, with his quick humor. I mean he is just hilarious. No matter how dangerous or inappropriate the situation, you count on Puck to say something ridiculous and sarcastic. There were times that group wanted to kill him, and I wouldn’t blame them. Puck, I believe is my favorite character, aside from the all knowing cait sith Grimalkin. Who by the way you can also count on disappearing when times are dangerous, leading the way, smart comments, and having so much intelligence. He just has a way of making everyone feel so dumb, I can’t help but laugh. The amount of knowledge he has is remarkable. Grimalkin, had his own love hate relationship with “The Big Bad Wolf”. I guess Cats and Dogs will never get along.  He plays a very interesting and important part in this journey, and I am so happy he was a part of this story.

Ariella….. What a surprise!!! I mean I had a feeling she was alive, I would have never guessed she was the seer.

 The major and important role she played in this book, as well as the others was OMG amazing. The twist in her story, was incredible. I had a moment, where I questioned her loyalty and if she was up to something. She is just beyond amazing, and I am saddened that Ash and her couldn’t be happy. I definitely wanted Ash with Meghan, but I definitely felt the love for Ariella. Their history, is very intense and amazing.

This book was amazing ending to this great series. I loved this book so much. It literally is my favorite book in the series. I will probably have to read all over again so I can remember my favorite parts, because there were so many. You need to get this book.  Once you read it, you will see how much of a treasure this is. Thanks Julie Kagawa for this great adventure!

                      ************* 5****************